Aside from a handful of history buffs and Danish nationalists, few are familiar with the rule of King Christian VII, whose reign lasted from 1749 to 1808. It’s a shame because his story is a remarkable tale that many would enjoy. It is with this in mind that Nikolaj Arcel directed “A Royal Affair,” a thrilling depiction of the rule of Christian VII and Denmark’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards.
The film is set in Denmark during the Age of Enlightenment, a time of radical shifts away from established norms. Spearheading the charge toward change are Queen Caroline Matilda (Alicia Vikander) and Dr. Johann Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen). Together they entice Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Folsgaard) to play the role of an enlightened despot introducing progressive reforms.
Amid these important historical events is a love triangle between these three main characters. Most of the action in the plot revolves around the rapidly escalating love story, adding continuous intrigue.
All of the critical moments in the film are historically accurate, and the plot largely arranges itself around the historical chronology. The writing is high-quality and the plot engaging, though there are some scenes that are incongruous with the broader course of the film. Even when making a historical film, a director must decide which parts can be included or excluded. Certain unnecesary scenes in the film could have been expurgated without sacrificing much historical merit.
Thematically, the film dabbles in many areas, including feminism, class struggle and religion. However, the film merely plays in these areas and does not develop them into integral elements of the story. Viewers expecting a profound message will be disappointed. That’s not to denigrate “A Royal Affair,” which is still a fine movie for anyone who wishes to see an intelligent and engaging film, if shallow film.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 6 print edition. Yifang Zhao is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].
